Card index



April 1, 1991. I C. APPLEGRTH 1,799,836

CARD INDEX Filed Aug. 13, 192B.

I' ,Uli

hg ILI- rrr Patented Apr. 7, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT o FEijcE CLARK APPLEGARTH, or PALO ALTO, cALIronNLA CARD INDEX Application led August 13, 1928. Serial No. 299,430. Y i

poses.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved index card dispensing device.

Another object is to provide a new and imi5 proved dispensing device for index cards whereby said cards may be dispensed from a pack, successively to a visible position for reference and recording purposes.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved device of the character described which may be easily removed from a housing or container for bookkeeping and reference purposes.

A still further object is to provide a device of the class set forth and adapted to. serve as a guide for drivers of delivery vehicles whereby the proper orders may be delivered to the proper customers over a prescribed route.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved index card having improved means for engaging and clearing supports for a plurality of such cards, and likewise having improved means whereby said cards may be loosely strung upon a rod or other similar member in such a manner that said cards may be dispensed singly and successively by a dispensing de vice.

I accomplish these and other objects by means of the improved device disclosed in the drawings forming a part of the present application wherein like characters of reference are used to designate similar parts 5 throughout the specification and drawings,

and in which Y V.Figa 1 is a plan view of my improved device' Fig. 2 is a vertical and longitudinal sectional view of the housing or container, the

close the staggered recesses in theV edges thereof;

Fig. 3 is a `front elevation ofthe ront'or open side of the device;

v index cards being shown in elevation to dis- Fig. 4L is a transverse sectional view taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 2 in the direction indicated; and i Fig. 5 is a plan View. of a single card removed from the device.

Referring'to the drawings; the numeral 1 is used to designate a housing or container having a centrally disposed slot 2 in the upper end Sthereof and a socket or aperture l arranged below the slot 2 and in the lower end 6 of said container or housing 1.

A plurality of horizontally disposed supports 7 project into the interior ofthe housing 1 at a point intermediate of the upper yand lower ends 3 and 6, respectively, of the housing 1, and preferably at a point slightlyv above the center of said housing 1, said supports being arranged horizontally in pairs, one pair at each side of said housing 1, the purpose of which will hereinafter be more fully described.

A rod 8 provided with a suitable nut 9 adjacent the lower end thereof, has said lower end pivotally and detachably seated within said socket or recess 4 within the lower end 6 of the housing 1, and extending upper end 3 in order to prevent the lower endv of said rod from being detached from its pivotal socket or recess 9 while said rod is mounted within the housing.

Loosely mounted upon the rod 8 are a plurality of index cards 14: each provided with a pair of recesses 16 cut into each opposite edge thereof and also a pair of centrally disposed Stringing apertures 17, and 17 l Alternate cards 14 are strung upon the rod 8 by means of alternate apertures 17 and 17 That is to say, the rod 8 alternately engages the apertures 17 and 17 of successive cards so that when said cards are thus strung the recesses 16 in alternate cards 14 will be staggered as disclosed in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings.

The recesses 16 within either edge of the cards 14 are the same distance apart as the distance between their respective supports 7 upon which said cards rest when said recesses are unregistered with said supports 7. All of the cards are of the same dimensions and when said cards are stacked with their edges even, both sets of recesses 16 and their stringing apertures 17 and 17 will register and coincide. But, when one card 14 is strung upon the rod 8 through its aperture 17 and the next card is strung upon the same rod 8 through its apertures 17, it will be found that the recesses 16 of the adjacent cards 14, instead of registering will be displaced from each other a distance equal to the distance between the apertures 17 and 17 in each card as disclosed in Fig. 4 of the drawings. If, then, a plurality or pack of cards 14 be thus placed with each alternate card alternately engaging the rod 8 with apertures 17 and 17 respectively, it will be found that the recesses 16 in alternate cards will be staggered on both sides of the pack or stack of cards, as disclosed in the side elevation of said cards in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The rod 8 is pivoted at its socket or recess 4 so that it may reciprocate within the slot 2 a distance which will move that portion or point in the rod 8 within the plane of the supports 7 a distance approximately equal to the distance between the apertures 17 and 17 within each card.

In order to facilitate positioning of said point of saidl rod 8 l have provided a double spring latch 18 mounted upon the upper end 3 of the housing 1 and adjacent the slot 2 therein, said latch having arcuate recesses or seats 19 and 19 therein to resiliently or yieldingly engage the rod 8 above the housing 1, and normally hold said rod 8 in a position where the recesses 16 of one card 14 will be held in registration with the supports 7.

In operation, the cards 14 are strung alternately through their apertures 17 and 17 to stagger successive sets of recesses 16, as above described, and the nut 9 is then screwed upon the lower end of said rod 8, and seated within the recess 4 to provide a detachable and pivotal socket, as above described.

The rod 8 and pack of index cards 14, with their recesses 16 in staggered relation, are then mounted within the housing or container 1 and the upper end of the said rod 8 is then moved into the slot 2, projecting therethrough exteriorly of the housing 1 and between the seats or recesses 19 and 19 of the spring 18. When in this position the collar 12 will rest slightly below the under surface of the end 3 which will prevent removal of the lower end of said rod 8 from its pivotal socket or recess 4 but will leave the upper end of said rod 8 free to reciprocate within the slot 2.

The cards 14 are then seated upon the supports 7 with the rod 8 positioned, for example in the recess 19 of the spring 18 which will position the lowermost card 14 of the pack, which is strung upon the rod through its aperture 17, with the recesses 16 of said lowermost card out of registration with the supports 7.

lt is thus to be understood that when start ing a delivery route for which the pack is used that the entire pack is positioned above and resting upon the supports 7 with the recesses 16 of the lowermost card 14 unregistered with said supports 7.

The operator, to discover the name, address and items of the first delivery on the route, assuming that the device is in use for that purpose, moves the upper end of the rod 8 to the opposite recess 19, which action will move the pack of cards 14 to the opposite extreme position, and therefore, that portion of the rod 8 within the plane of the top f the f-uipports 7 will move the recesses 16 of the lowermost card 14 into registration with the said supports 7 and said card, being then unsupported, will thereby be dispensed into the bottomv or lower portion of the housing 1 where it will be readily visible to the operator, for his information.

After one lower card has been dispensed, it will be found that the next card, which will then be lowermost, has its recesses 16 unregistered with the supports 7 and therefore said cards 14 will be dispensed singly and successively when the upper end of the rod 8 is reciprocated.

lf, at any time, a new card containing data for a new customer or delivery, is inserted in its proper position and intermediate of the pack, it must necessarily register with the adjacent card above or below it so that two cards will be dispensed at the respective action of the rod 8. In order to overcome this and still permit a new card to be inserted at any place within the pack and dispensed singly, the said new card is strung in the aperture 17 or 17, as the case may be, which will cause said newly inserted card to register' with the card immediately below it and then a blank card, also containing the proper recesses 16, is inserted or strung by means of the alternate aperture 17 or 17, as the ease may be so that said new blank card will be staggered as to both the newly inserted card and the old card below it. Therefore, when the rod 8 is actuated at this point the blank card will first be dispensed into the lower end of the housing indicating to the operator that a new customer or entry has been made. v f i In order to facilitate the dispensing process a suitable weight 2l may also be strung upon the rod 8 to restupon the pack of cards 14.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent isl. A card index comprising a housing;

supports mounted within the housing; a plu- 3. A card index comprising a housing;

supports mounted within said housing intermediate tlie upper and lower ends thereof; a pack of horizontally disposed index cards loosely supported upon said supports and in the upper portion of said housing; and means for singly dispensing cards from the lower side of said pack into the lower portion of said housing.

4f. A card index comprising a housing;

supports mounted within said housing and intermediate the upper and l'ower ends thereof; a pack of cards loosely supported upon said supports and having recesses therein arranged to clear said supports whereby said cards may be dispensed past said supports, said recesses being staggered on alternate cards; and means for moving said cards to singly bring said recesses therein into regisy tration with said supports whereby cards may be singly dispensed from the bottom of the pack into the lower portion of said housing. y

5. A card index comprising aY housing; supports projecting into the interior of said housing intermediate the upper and lower ends thereof; a rod pivotally mounted within the lower end of said housing and extending upward centrally therethrough and exteriorly of the upper end of said housing, the upper end of said rod being adapted to swing in an enlarged opening in said end; and a plurality of cards loosely mounted upon said rod and resting upon the supports and in the upper portion of said housing, said cards each being provided with recesses arranged to clear and pass said supports, the said recesses of each card being arranged in staggered rela-tion to the recesses of adjacent cards, and said cairds being movable by said rod to bring the recesses in the lowermost card into registration with said supports.

6. A card index comprising a housing hav- Ving one side thereof open and acentrally disposed slot in the upper end thereof; a plurality of supports projecting into the interior of said housing at a point intermediate the upper and lower ends thereof; a rod having its lower end pivotally and detachably mounted within the lower end of said housing and extending upwardly through said slot; and exterio-rly of said housing; anda pack of index `cards strung upon said rod and resting upon said supports, and having recesses in the edges thereof to clear said supports, said recesses being staggered in alternate cards, whereby said cards may be singly dispensed when said pack is moved by said rod to 'bring the recesses of the lowermost card into Yregistration with said supports.

7. A card index comprising a housing having one side thereof open and a centrally disposed 'slot in the upper'end thereof; a plurality of supports projecting into the interior of said housing at a point intermediate the upper and lower ends thereof; a rod having its lower end pivotally and detachably mounted within the lower end of said housing and extending upwardly through said slot and exteriorly of said housing; and a pack of index cards strung upon said rod and resting upon said. supports, and having recesses in the edges thereof tov clear said supports, said recesses being staggered in alternate cards, whereby said cards may be singly dispensed when said pack is moved by said rod to bring the recesses of the lowermost card into registration with said supports; and means for loosely retaining said cards upon said rod when the same is removed from the housing.

8. A card index comprising a housing having one side thereof open and a centrally disposed slot in the upper end thereof; a plurality of supports projecting into the interior of said housing at a point intermediate the upper and lower endsthereof; a rod having its lower end pivotally and detachably mounted within the lower end of said housing and extendingvupwardly through said slot and exteriorly' of said housing; and a pack of index cards strung upon said rod and resting upon saidsupports, and having 'recesses in the-edges thereof to clear said supports, said recesses being staggered in alternate. cards, whereby said cards may be singly dispensed when said pack is moved by said rod to bring Vthe recesses of the lower most card into registration with said supports; and means for normally pressing said cards onto said supports.

9. An index card comprisingV a card having a plurality of recesses cut in the sides thereof to clear supports for said card within a' housing, and likewise havingtwo apertures within the body of the card whereby the y recesses lin alternate ones of a plurality of said cards may be staggered when said a1- ternate cards are strung upon a rod through alternate apertures. I

10. A card index comprising a housing having one side thereof open and a centrally disposed slot in the upper end thereof; a plurality of supports projecting into themterior of said housing at a point intermediate the upper and lower ends thereof; a rod having its lower end pivotally and detachably mounted within the lower end of said housing and extending upwardly through said slot and exteriorly of said housing; and a pack of index cards strung upon said rod and resting upon said supports, and having recesses in the edges thereof` to clear said supports, said recesses being staggered in alternate cards, whereby said cards may be singly dispensed when said pack is moved by said rod tov bring the recesses of the lowermost card into registration with said supports; and means for engaging the rod to normally prevent movement thereof.

11. A card index comprising a housing having one side thereof open and a. centrally disposed slot in the upper end thereof; a plurality of supports projecting into the interior of said housing at a point intermediate the upper and lower ends thereof; a rod having its lower end pivotally and detachably mounted within the lower end of said housing and extending upwardly through said slot and exteriorly of said housing; and a pack of index cards strung upon said rod and resting upon said supports; and having recesses in the edges thereof to clear said supports, said recesses being staggered in alternate cards, whereby said cards may be singly dispensed when said pack is moved by said rod to bring the recesses of the lowermost card into registration with said supports; and means for preventing disengagement of the lower end of said rod from its pivotal mounting when said rod is within said housing.

12. A, card index comprising a housing having one side thereof open and a centrally disposed slot in the upper end thereof; a plurality of supports projecting into the interior of said housing at a point intermediate the upper and lower ends thereof; a rod having its lower end pivotally and detachably mounted within the lower end of said housing and extending upwardly through said slot and exteriorly of said housing; and a pack of index cards strung upon said rod and resting upon said supports, and having recesses in the edges thereof to clear said supports, said recesses being staggered in alternate cards, whereby said cards may be singly dispensed when said pack is moved by said rod to bring the recesses of the lowermost card into registration with said supports; and a collar mounted upon the rod and arranged directly under the upper portion of the housing to engage said upper portion of natu re'.

CLARK APPLEGARTH. 

